TOW 24: The Glass Castle By Jeanette Walls

Goals:

Find good rhetorical strategies
Have a clear thesis

Jeanette Walls has had a an unpredictable, almost fictional-sounding upbringing. With two highly individualistic parents who abhorred responsibility, she was left from a young age, to take many responsibilities onto her shoulders. Now, towards the end of the memoir Jeanette is tired of having to look after her parents instead of the other way around. Through vivid description and revealing dialogue, Walls shares her deep desire to leave but also her deep love for her parents despite everything she has gone though.
 Walls uses very descriptive language in her memoir. With her words, she reveals her inner turmoil and disappointment at the actions of her father. She writes, "Dad started laughing and hugging Mom, who started laughing and hugging him. It was as if they were so happy they hadn't  killed each other that they had fallen in love again. I didn't feel like celebrating. I couldn't believe that after all he had put himself through, Dad had gone back o the booze." (77). By vividly describing the unpredictable behavior of her parents, Walls clearly shows the drama and importance of this moment because it is when her father returns to alcohol, leading for her to begin to lose faith that he will actually change. The whole ridiculousness of the situation, with her parents waving knives at each other just moments earlier, also speaks to how much Walls had to go through in her childhood, though she may not blame her parents for anything.
Walls also uses frequent dialogue to add to the vividness of her memoir. Describing a conversation with a woman who oversaw the Internationalal Best Dressed List, Walls writes, "So where are you from Jeanette?' 'West Virginia.' 'Where?' 'Welch' ....'And your family owns coal mines?' (170). This conversation highlights how uncomfortable Walls felt at first being surrounded by so many people who she feels will never understand her. Walls one word answers show this. She thinks others will judge her harshly if they ever find out about her parents, but she feels happy to finally be able to not have to worry about her parents anymore.
Wall's audience is probably the general public. This book was easy to read, but also engrossing because of its vivid language and detailed dialogue. Jeanette Walls is a former MSNBC columnist who is also author of Half Broke Horses: A True-Life Novel.